


Darkened Allure

by Lostmyheart



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: HPFT, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-27 12:18:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7617817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lostmyheart/pseuds/Lostmyheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in response to Slytherinchica08's Two Chapter Challenge @ HPFF</p><p>With the candles dancing behind him, he looked like he glowed as he looked at her. His fingers still holding her chin up, making her face him.<br/>"You have not gone unnoticed," he confessed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fascination

Hermione walked between the towering bookshelves of the library, scanning the titles. The candles were barely lit, making it difficult to find what she was looking for. She was alone, just the way she liked it. It was one of the benefits of being a trustworthy student; they allowed her to stay at the library after closing hours, as long as she went straight to the Gryffindor Tower when she was done.

It did not take long before she found one of the books she was looking for. She gently touched the back of the book, her finger gliding over the engraved letters of the old tome. Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger. She pulled it off the shelf, opened it, and started scanning the pages for the right information she needed for her homework.

After a few minutes she put the book back to its usual place, and walked on with her finger tracing the back of the books. She hummed her favourite tune as she tried to find the next book, one she had heard Mrs. Weasley play last summer. She stopped humming the second she found the book she had been looking for and just as she reached out for it, she heard a low humming continuing the tune from the darkness behind her.

She spun around, shock painted all over her face. Her heart raced and her breathing became shallower; her eyes scanned the darkness, searching for whoever hummed the rest of her tune.

Chills crawled up her spine and dwelled on the back of her head as she heard footsteps slowly approach her. In front of her, Blaise Zabini stepped into the few candle’s light. His dark skin made it difficult to see him clearly in the shadows of the evening, and the dim candlelight did not help much.

Surprised, Hermione stared at him for a moment, trying to find an explanation to why he was here, standing in front of her in the library, after hours. She took a few steps back.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” she warned him, hating the way her voice came out weak and trembling. Her heart raced as she realized she knew nothing about him, nor did she remember what his voice sounded like. He never spoke when Draco and his gang tormented her; he was an observer, a silent member of Draco’s group.

The corners of his lips turned into a very small smile, his eyes never leaving hers. They bore an unfamiliar gleam; a look that made Hermione uncertain of his intentions.

He slowly stepped closer, still not answering her. She stepped back and suddenly rammed into a bookshelf with her back. Her heart racing, she nearly panicked and in that moment froze, she had no idea what to do.

He was still smiling, though it did not seem like a very friendly one. His eyes scanned her face, her hair, her clothes and her body. They widened so slightly that she wouldn’t have noticed if she hadn’t been looking into them.

“You fascinate me,” he breathed, his voice deep and husky. It sounded like he merely stated that to himself, than to her.

Hermione pressed herself deeper into the bookshelf, feeling her palms get sweaty. His tall body towered over her small frame, his shoulders so broad they nearly blocked all the light from the candles.

His scent intoxicated her as she tried to understand what he just said. His words echoed in her mind, she fascinated him… how that even was possible was beyond her comprehension. She had always considered herself rather unattractive compared to the rest of the schools girls, but she had accepted it as it is. The questions flooded her, as she still tried to maintain the eye contact with Zabini. He should not see how much confusion he caused, though he might have glimpsed it in the beginning.

“You’re Malfoy’s best friend,” she finally managed to say, and much to her dismay it sounded childish.

He chuckled and his small smile widened. “I think of him more as a companion than a best friend.”

Hermione just stared at him, unable to find words, which was rather uncommon for someone like her. She wondered how long he had been watching her in the darkness, and why he even bothered following her. She was Muggleborn, and obviously not someone he should find fascinating, not with friends like his.

Everything about him alarmed her. His intense stare, his oblivious knowledge of personal space, and the fact that they were alone in the library. Nobody would hear her, even if she screamed at the top of her lungs.

“You are afraid,” he remarked, taking another step closer.

Hermione shook her head - perhaps a little too quickly - as she tried to convince him, and herself, that she was not scared of his presence.

“Do not fear me,” he said to her. She observed him as he gently touched the tips of her curly hair. “We are both students at this school, why would I harm you?”

She gulped as his fingers played with her curls, sending somewhat pleasant goose bumps through her scalp and down her neck. Suddenly, every fibre in her body was alive, and it confused her even more.  
“You’re different,” he commented. She could feel his finger trace the line of her jaw. It was surprisingly warm and soft.

“You want to be like the other girls, yet you remain unchanged,” he continued airily. His finger stopped by her chin, and his thumb gently caressed her bottom lip. “Except that one time you changed your front teeth…”

The touch of his thumb against her lips made her dizzy, and she could hardly focus due to the swarm of butterflies inside of her. Her heart throbbed as she tried to regain her focus, but all she could think about was that it had been years since a boy had touched her like this. No one since Viktor…

“It said more about your character than your friends seemed to notice,” he told her, continuing his caress, intoxicating her. “They still treat you like a boy, as one of them, despite the fact that your curves have grown over the years, and Weasley seems quite oblivious to the looks you give him from time to time.”

It hurt her to hear how spot on Zabini was with his observation with her. Why was she so easy to read?

His hazel eyes left her lips and began to study her face and eventually found her eyes. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, while Hermione tried to figure out if he messed with her or truly meant what he said to her in the beginning. It confused her greatly of her body reacted to his touch.  
With the candles dancing behind him, he looked like he glowed as he looked at her. His fingers still holding her chin up, making her face him.

“You have not gone unnoticed,” he confessed, finally breaking the silence. He slowly let his hand down, gave her a small nod, and disappeared into the darkness of the library, leaving Hermione alone.

Her skin tingled where he had touched her and her heart was still racing. She felt as if she had been on an emotional rollercoaster, and it had taken its toll on her. She let herself fall to the floor, landing hard on her knees but she did not care. He had been right; they never acknowledged her as a girl, just a friend. Their best friend. Ron never noticed her the way she noticed him, and with Harry’s current obsession with Malfoy, things had not been easy for the three of them.

After a few minutes, she finally managed to collect herself and got on her feet. With heavy steps, she left the library, walked the gloomy corridors and up the stairs to the Gryffindor common room.

She barely slept that night. Still feeling the ghost of a touch on her cheek.


	2. Under the Starlight Gaze

It was five minutes past eight in the evening and the corridors were deserted. Most of the students were already in their respective house’s common room, winding down for the night with homework or sleep. Except for those chosen few who had received invitations to another one of Professor Slughorn’s parties.   
Hermione was one of them.

The nervousness made her fingers restless. She brushed off the skirt of her blue dress, and touched her golden necklace to see if it was still sitting where it should be. 

The candle’s fire danced as she walked by, making the shadows seem alive. Despite the haunting atmosphere it didn’t scare her. She was used to it during her almost daily walk from the library past curfew. No, the shadows didn’t scare her, but something made her blood pump faster through her veins.

The thought of someone watching her from the darkness, where her eyes could not distinguish shapes in the blackness of it all.  
She feared him, as she feared his intentions. It was the unknown that scared her more than anything did; she never liked being clueless. She needed to know why he was captivated with her. After catching him staring at her several times, it dawned to her that maybe it was true what he told her in the library – he really was fascinated with her.

It had been a month since he’d first approached her in the library. His words kept her awake at night, making her unable to focus in class, and she hated herself for letting his interest in her affect her like this. She wished the warm touch of his finger didn’t haunt her, and she wished she had moved away the moment he reached for her, but instead she had stood still like a fool, compelled by his confession.

In the midst of the fear that dwelled heavily on her mind, she could not ignore the fact that a small tingling feeling of hope that he actually liked her was beginning to grow. As much as she tried to deny it, it became stronger, though she wasn’t fond of the fact that it was Zabini.

It was merely the thought of someone liking her - not finding her boring – that dulled her silent insecurity.

The sound of her footsteps echoed softly through the walls of the school, reminding her of the fact that she was alone.  
Harry had Ginny, and Ron had Lavender, which left her alone. Not entirely, as they were still best friends, but the longing for Ron to finally see how much she loved him was unbearable.  
Why was it so hard to let go?

Hermione sighed. She had finally reached Professor Slughorn’s office.

Of all the rooms at Hogwarts, this was the least she wanted to be in right now. She lifted her hand to the doorknob, turned it and the bright light nearly blinded her.

“Ah, miss Granger! I am so pleased to see you here,” she heard Professor Slughorn say. She slowly adjusted to the light and glanced at her fellow students. She seemed to be the last one to arrive at the Professor’s almost-end-of-the-school-year party.

“Please, go mingle; enjoy this evening! The drinks and foods are over there, by the corner,” he told her and rushed back to a fourth year Ravenclaw - whose name Hermione could not remember - and continued their conversation.

Hermione stood still for a moment, uncertain what to do next. She knew some of the students that attended this party as well, but they weren’t friends and she rarely spoke with them. It was times like these that she realized how much time she actually spend with Harry and Ron, and that she had no other friends than them. 

A strong sense of loneliness overwhelmed her, and she quickly went to the table by the corner and filled a cup with Butterbeer. Something to ease her longing.

She quickly slipped out to the balcony, letting the door sit slightly ajar. The fresh air filled her lungs, and the blanket of starts above her made the scenery in front of her beautiful. 

Despite its name, the Forbidden Forest was stunning at night, with the moon and stars adorning the black sky above it.

As quickly as the sense of loneliness came, it was gone. She enjoyed the view from the castle and the warmth from the Butterbeer as she stood still and pondered what life would bring her in the upcoming years.

“It’s peaceful out here,” a familiar deep voice said, interrupting her thoughts.

She startled and whipped around. To her horror, she saw Blaise Zabini standing a few feet from her.

He gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Her eyes widened as she realized he had closed the door.

“I prefer to keep this conversation private,” he explained when he trailed her line of sight. His voice was low but had a calm sound to it. It did soothe her nerves a bit, and she knew there was no reason to be afraid; they were not alone at this party, after all.

With a few steps forward he was in front of her. She could see his eyes sparkle as he looked at her, and she found it hard to deny the fact that he was physically attractive.

Hermione hoped he could not hear the pounding of her heart, nervous because of his presence. Since his confession, she had not been able to rest, even for a single moment. In her weakest moments, she could not understand why Ron didn’t notice her like Zabini did. In her strongest moments, she just told herself that Ron was blind. He always has been. However, that did not soothe her heartache.

She did not see Zabini as an option, as a possibility, but she could not deny the curiosity that grew inside of her. She needed to know why she fascinated him, and finally put a rest to her confusion.

“I am sorry for the trouble I have caused,” he said as if he knew what she’d just been thinking. His voice low and husky, he added, 

“It was not my intention to confuse you so greatly.”

“Your words did not cause any trouble at all,” she lied, and her eyes finally left his.

“Then what’s making you unable to focus in class?” he asked her.

Hermione tried her hardest not to show any sign of how angry she became with herself for letting the impact of his confession so visible.

“Stress, I suppose,” she lied again as she stepped away from him, though the firmness of her voice was gone. She hoped he would go back to the party and leave her alone with her confused mind and throbbing heart. She did not like the fact that he knew she was broken.

He stood still, with his hands in his trouser pockets as he watched her move away. 

As she moved away she noticed in a very small glimpse that barely lasted a second; a look of pain that shined in his eyes as he looked at her. His jaw clenched and before she knew it, the look of pain was gone and replaced with his usual, intense stare. 

It was then, she realized, that maybe he was just as confused as she was.

“I meant what I said in the library,” he told her with a serious tone. His head tilted ever so slightly, as he watched her.

“Don’t toy with me, Zabini,” she exclaimed, clutching her hands together. Her palms were sweaty from nervousness and tears threated to reveal themselves. “Just leave me alone. Stop pretending that you find me interesting.”

He did not respond, but merely looked at her as intensely as ever. His brown eyes stared deeply into her hazel ones. He was thinking, Hermione noticed. It was as if he was trying to decide what to do, which made her even more nervous.

Slowly, he gave her a nod and turned to leave. Suddenly - to her own surprise - she felt disappointed and realized she’d had a small hope of his confession being true.

He stopped by the door, and ran his hand through his black hair, before abruptly turning around and walking towards her. He reached her in no time, and before she knew what was happening, he leaned in and kissed her hard. 

Surprised, she did not kiss back and was unable to move away as his hand was cupping the back of her head. His lips were warm and soft, and slowly she felt a swelling feeling of joy inside her chest. She placed her hands on his chest in one last attempt to push away from him, only making him press his lips harder against hers. She gave in - unable to deny the pleasant feeling of his lips - and closed her eyes and kissed back.

The kiss immediately deepened and she felt his left arm hold her back. A feeling of protection swarmed over her, and she could not help but enjoy the kiss even more.

After a few minutes he slowly broke the kiss, still holding her in his arms with her hands on his chest.

They stared at each other for a moment, Hermione unable to say anything. All she could think about was how pleasant the kiss was, and how much of a better kiss it was than the one she had experienced with Viktor two years ago.

“Meet me at the Astronomy Tower tomorrow at nine,” he told her, and let go of her.

“Okay,” Hermione breathed. Her voice so weak she was sure the word would be blown away by the wind, before he could hear it - but he did hear it, as he sent her a smile. He gave her a small nod, before he walked back to the party.

Hermione stood still for a moment, trying to understand what just happened.

She had just been kissed for the second time in her life. His soft lips left a pleasant tingling on her lips, her only evidence that it wasn’t a dream. 

She couldn’t help but smile, and turned around to see the moon and the stars above. She did not care for the fact that it was Zabini, but she was just happy to have been kissed at all. For the first time since the Yule Ball, she felt like a girl again. 

This is how she was supposed to spend her teenage years, experiencing life, before responsibilities were nothing but all she had left. She had buried herself with homework and books, anything to keep her mind busy, to avoid the fact that she did not have anything else to offer but her vast knowledge of things.

However, tonight in this very moment, she felt happy. The kiss had silenced some of her inner demons that made her insecure. Someone liked her for who she was, and that was enough to let her know that she was good enough.

 

\---

 

She stood in front of the stairs that led up to the Astronomy Tower, suddenly hesitant. She pondered whether she should walk up the stairs and meet Zabini or just go back to Gryffindor Tower.

Truly, she did not have any interest in the Slytherin boy, but the kiss the previous night was pleasant, and she still felt the need to know why he even found her fascinating.

She sighed, and decided to go up and meet him. It would not hurt to see him one last time, and then she would go back to her normal life, this time knowing she was able to be interesting to others.

She reached the top and as she pushed the door open a gush of cold wind met her. It was far colder than the evening before, but the sky was just as clear and beautiful.

She noticed Zabini standing by the edge, his head tilted upwards as he studied the stars.

He had his hands in his pockets again. Maybe a habit of his, Hermione wondered as she slowly approached him. He turned his head, giving her a small smile when he saw her.

“Hello,” he greeted her softly, and turned his body towards her. Hermione only smiled back, suddenly becoming quite shy in his presence.

He studied her; he always seemed to do it when he was around her. “You look fresh today,” he noted.

His attention to detail never went amiss as he was right about her once again. For the first time in a month, she had slept through the whole night.

She did not respond, as she felt he merely stated it to himself instead of using it to start a conversation.

He walked closer, and slowly reached for her necklace. His intoxicating scent reached her nostrils and she suddenly felt high as she inhaled. He held the small golden broom with his fingers, before he gently let go and his eyes travelled back to hers.

“A gift,” Hermione explained to him, “from Viktor.”

He let a small chuckle escape his lips. “It doesn’t surprise me,” he responded. “It suits you.”

She felt her cheeks blush, and she silently cursed herself for blushing at all under his gaze.

His eyes never left hers, and it felt like he was taking in the sight of her. He truly was fascinated with her, she thought to herself.

“I almost didn’t come.” She decided to tell the truth.

The pained look she saw the other night washed over his face once again. He clenched his jaw and his eyes glistened in the moonlight, filled with what seemed to be worry.

“I wish you didn’t,” he told her.

Surprised, Hermione took half a step backwards, smiling nervously. “Why?”

”I am so sorry,” he whispered. She could hear he meant it.

She could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Why are you sorry?” she asked cautiously.

With one swift move to the right, he pushed her hard, causing her to lose her balance and she tripped backwards, over the edge of the tower. The unexpected blow knocked the air out of her lungs, making it impossible for her to scream.

She could see things so clearly, despite the countless memories passing her mind. His outstretched arm, as if he regretted his actions. The look of despair in his hazel eyes, how his lips formed a silent ‘no’. And with sudden clarity, she saw the reason to why he had pushed her. Why had she been so blind?

The reason to why Malfoy always looked so pained in her presence, the reason to why he had stopped tormenting her, the reason to why he spend so much time in the library, and why Harry found him crying in the bathroom.

Dumbledore had never been the target, but merely a distraction.  
The sight of Harry and Ron laughing, Harry’s green eyes, Ron’s flaming red hair, Ginny’s smile. Her father’s kind face, her mother’s sweet smile. Dumbledore’s twinkling eyes.

Forgive me. I failed you.

Her heart broke into a thousand pieces, before she landed on the ground with a sickening sound.

 

\---

 

Blaise stood by the edge, looking down at Hermione’s discorded, lifeless body by the feet of the castle. The pain in his heart was unlike anything he had ever experienced, yet he remained silent. The only evidence being his hands clutching the bricks of the tower tightly.

Behind him, Draco Malfoy came out of the shadows.

“I knew she was weak,” he scoffed bitterly as he stood next to Blaise, also looking down at Hermione’s body.

“She was not weak, she was broken,” Blaise told him. His voice dripping with distain. 

“Isn’t that the same thing?” 

“No,” Blaise simply replied. “No, it’s not the same thing.”

They remained silent for a moment, Blaise’s eyes never leaving the evidence of his actions. The sight of her falling, the shock on her face, the realization of why he did it, they left an imprint in his mind and would forever haunt him. He knew that.

“Don’t you ever pull that arrogant, fake attitude when you’re alone with me, Draco,” Blaise commanded.

Draco did not respond at once, he only looked at his friend for a minute before he opened his mouth.   
“I never hated her.”

Blaise sighed. “I know that,” he said softly and let go of his grip on the bricks. 

He realized the golden necklace was in his hand, the small broom on his palm. It was one of the reasons to why he started to find her fascinating. Viktor Krum picked the seemingly most boring girl in the school, and no one knew why he did so.

It was then that Blaise fully paid her attention, and learned she was anything but boring. A quiet girl, yes, but once provoked or hurt she could be surprisingly aggressive. He knew that from when she punched Draco in third year, so when he heard she had helped fighting in the Department of Mystery last year and sent birds after Ron a few months ago it did not surprise him.

Last night in the moonlight, as she moved away it hit him how beautiful she looked. Her curls adorned her pretty face, her brown eyes so full of emotion and her lips so enticing. It was in that moment she backed away from him, he knew, it would be painful for him to end her life.

But he had to. 

“Why didn’t you just kill her at Slughorn’s party?” Draco asked. “Get it over with.”

Blaise turned his head. “I could ask the same about you.”

Draco pursed his lips. “I got caught by Snape, you know that.”

He did not reply, but gave him one last look before he turned his gaze to the Forbidden Forest. “She deserved one last chance at happiness,” he told Draco. “If not happiness, then at least a few moments of peace.”

“Peace from what?” Draco asked, and once again proved that Blaise noticed many things he did not. He did not want to discuss this with him, so he kept quiet and silently answered him in his mind.

Peace from self-doubt, peace from the heartache, peace from the looming war, and finally get the opportunity to feel desired.

“You think Potter will know this was the real mission?” Draco asked after a few minutes of silence.

“He may be narrow-minded, but he’s not stupid,” Blaise answered and put the necklace in his pocket. He turned around and faced his best friend. “Remember, you pushed her.”

He used all his strength to keep his face straight, neutral, and emotionless. He watched as Draco nodded obligingly.

“Of course.”

Blaise mustered a small smile. Even though he lost a part of his youth, he knew that he had done it for the right reasons. For now, the Malfoy family remained safe from the wraths of The Dark Lord.

They walked towards the door, and Blaise could not help but to feel that he left his heart behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Author's Note  
>  Thank you once again, Julie (moonyxluna @ HPFF), for beta reading this! And also for helping me decide on which story title to use._
> 
> _I am excited to hear what you, the reader, thought of my short story. Did it shock you? Any kind of feedback is very much appreciated._
> 
> _Much love  
>  \- Lostmyheart_

**Author's Note:**

>  **Author's Note**  
>  _This story is written for Slytherinchica08's Two Chapter Challenge @ HPFF._  
>  Julie, moonyxluna @ HPFF, beta read this. Thank you so much for your help!  
> And thank you Erin, for helping me out with the title!
> 
>  
> 
> _I've been wanting to write a Hermione/Blaise story for a while, and finally saw an opportunity for it. They are getting quite rare these days, so hopefully this will encourage you to read or write more about this pairing! :) I'd recommend Elysium's stories @ HPFF, they're incredible._
> 
> _I hope you liked it, and please leave me a review - it would make so happy to hear what you have to say!_
> 
> _Much love,_  
>  \- Lostmyheart


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